It is well known that fecal material is often difficult to remove from the skin of the user, in particular on sensitive skin such as by young babies and the skin around the genitals. Moreover, it is well known that fecal material on the skin can cause irritation and redness of the skin and some times even dermatitis of the skin.
One of the solutions to reduce the fecal material on the skin is to provide a means to isolate the fecal material immediately after discharge, away from the skin. The problem with feces isolation in diapers is that the feces can vary hugely in consistency and viscosity and furthermore that, whilst isolating the feces, the diaper needs to retain its urine absorption capacity.
Hereto, diapers have been suggested with a topsheet with one or more large openings, through which the feces can pass to a void space between the topsheet and the absorbent core. The fecal material is then stored underneath this topsheet, away from the skin.
As alternative, a diaper with a first topsheet with a multitude of small openings has been proposed, allowing low viscosity feces to pass through said openings onto the absorbent core, such that it may be isolated underneath said topsheet and such that the absorbent core may dewater the feces, such as for example described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,342,338. Optionally, a second topsheet with openings may be present, which further allows immobilization of the feces and dewatering of the feces by the absorbent core underneath.
Also various other feces management element that comprise high loft or loop materials have been proposed.
The inventors have now found a very efficient, improved way to provide i) feces isolation and immobilization, ii) reduced re-soiling of the skin by the immobilized feces and ii) good liquid acquisition at the same time. This is achieved by providing an absorbent article, e.g. diaper, comprises a sublayer that comprises at least one, but preferably at least two acquisition layers with holes therein, said holes being capable to receive and store and immobilize feces, and said sublayer being at the same time capable to acquire the liquid (urine). Furthermore, the inventors found that it is important that the sublayer has a certain open areas in order to provide efficient and effective feces immobilization and liquid acquisition at the same time, and that the holes of the sublayer should have a large enough size and caliper to provide enough storage volume for the feces.
Moreover, they found that it is highly important for the sublayers of the present invention, which have a liquid acquisition and possibly even a liquid distribution function, that such sublayers maintain their volume (e.g. caliper) in use, i.e. that the sublayer is pressure resistant and resilient even when wet and even when the user may put pressure on it. The importance of pressure resistant feces management elements and elements with a certain caliper have been described in the art, but there has not been any teaching or realization that such feces management elements should be such that they maintain the same volume after they have acquired liquid (urine).
Thus, a diaper with a sublayer is obtained that provide a better feces immobilization whilst still allowing excellent liquid acquisition and comfortable fit.